Better prepared for a brighter future

We’re excited to launch Better Prepared, a campaign to transform young people’s lives in the UK’s 200 poorest areas.

At the Houses of Parliament today we’ll call on MPs, community leaders and decision-makers to pledge their support to the campaign.

With support from the Youth United Foundation, Scouting is growing in many areas where young people lack opportunities – but we want to do even more.

We know that Scouting equips young people with the confidence and key skills to help them get on in life. We believe that the benefits of Scouting should be available to all young people, whatever their background.

The Better Prepared campaign is part of The Scout Association’s Vision to 2018 and will make a real difference to even more young people’s lives in selected areas across the UK. Life-changing

At the launch event Tracie Cross, the mother of a Scout from London, will speak about the life-changing impact Scouting has had on her family. She says: 'When my son Sonny first joined Scouts, he was very shy and wouldn’t communicate with people. That’s because of his autism – his self-esteem was very low. Now you wouldn’t recognise him. He’s doing things he would previously have never tried, even climbing a mountain!'

Hannah Kentish, The Scout Association’s new UK Youth Commissioner, explains: 'We know Scouting can change lives, so it has to reach those who could benefit the most. That’s not because young people are a problem to be fixed, or a failure to be corrected. It’s because with the right support and the right opportunities, young people can and will thrive.'

Support us

We need your support to set up more Groups, work with communities and help young people thrive in the UK’s poorest areas for generations to come. Spread the word about Better Prepared and text SCOUTS to 70800 to donate £5.

We’re calling on local and national decision-makers to commit to helping us with funding, recruitment, places to meet and positive press coverage. We’ll be giving you resources to secure a commitment from your local decision-makers in the new year. Email betterprepared@scouts.org.uk if you'd like to get involved.

Share your stories on Facebook about how Scouting has changed lives and watch this video to see Tracie and Sonny’s story.